The bill, S.B. No. 1982, amends the Texas Election Code to establish new provisions regarding the creation and operation of "voting centers" during early voting and on election day. A voting center is defined as a polling place created under Section 42.0052, which allows counties to assign one or more election precincts to a voting center, prohibiting those precincts from operating separate polling places. The bill mandates that counties post notices of election, including the locations of voting centers and the precincts assigned to them, on their websites or bulletin boards. Additionally, it sets limits on the number of registered voters that can be served by a voting center and ensures that the smallest voting center serves at least 95% of the largest.

The bill also includes various amendments to existing sections of the Election Code, such as the removal of outdated provisions related to consolidated precincts and the introduction of new requirements for electronic voting devices. It repeals several sections that are no longer applicable, streamlining the election process. The changes are set to take effect on September 1, 2025, and will apply to elections ordered on or after that date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Election Code 1.005, Election Code 4.003, Election Code 4.004, Election Code 31.014, Election Code 32.003, Election Code 32.0511, Election Code 42.002, Election Code 42.005, Election Code 42.006, Election Code 43.002, Election Code 43.003, Election Code 85.061, Election Code 85.062, Election Code 172.1112, Election Code 172.126, Election Code 172.128, Election Code 173.007, Election Code 173.081 (Election Code 31, Election Code 172, Election Code 42, Election Code 1, Election Code 85, Election Code 173, Election Code 32, Election Code 4, Election Code 43)